Abdulla Aripov is one of the key figures of Uzbek literature, whose poetry has become part of the cultural memory of several generations. Today, however, classical poetry competes for attention with fast, short-form digital content. For younger audiences, encounters with cultural heritage increasingly happen not through books, but through smartphone screens. Human House Gallery asked a question: Can short-form video become not a simplification of classical poetry, but a new way of experiencing it? This question inspired a series of four videos based on a poem by Abdulla Aripov. The poetic text was given a contemporary visual interpretation, transforming social media from a space of fast content consumption into a space for encountering literature. The project reflects Human House Gallery’s mission to preserve cultural memory, communicate heritage through contemporary forms, and create a dialogue between tradition and a new generation.
Problem
Abdulla Aripov’s poetry is an important part of Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage, yet the way people consume culture is changing. Younger audiences increasingly encounter art through short-form digital content. Human House Gallery set out to find a contemporary visual language for classical poetry while preserving the depth and emotional power of the original work. The goal was not simply to remind audiences of the poet, but to create a new point of connection between literary heritage and contemporary audiences — in the space where they spend their time today: social media.
Solution
Здесь я бы сделал самый сильный текст заявки. RU Мы решили не рассказывать о поэзии — мы решили сделать её видимой. Поэма Абдуллы Арипова стала основой серии из четырёх взаимосвязанных видеоработ. Текст был разделён на смысловые части, каждая из которых получила собственное визуальное и эмоциональное прочтение. Вместо традиционного литературного формата мы использовали язык современного короткого видео: образ, движение, пространство, ритм, голос и монтаж стали продолжением поэтического текста. Четыре ролика складываются в единое повествование, которое зритель открывает последовательно. Так привычный формат Reels стал пространством для встречи с узбекской литературой. Мы не адаптировали поэзию под социальные сети. Мы дали социальным сетям стать пространством для поэзии. EN Instead of talking about poetry, we decided to make it visible. A poem by Abdulla Aripov became the foundation for a series of four interconnected films. The text was divided into meaningful parts, each receiving its own visual and emotional interpretation. Instead of using a traditional literary format, we turned to the language of contemporary short-form video. Image, movement, space, rhythm, voice and editing became extensions of the poetic text. The four films come together as one narrative that unfolds gradually for the viewer. In this way, the familiar Reels format became a space for encountering Uzbek literature. We did not adapt poetry to social media. We allowed social media to become a space for poetry.
Results
The four-part video series based on the work of Abdulla Aripov generated more than 760,000 views on social media. The most-viewed episode reached 381,000 views, demonstrating that classical Uzbek literature can organically exist within contemporary short-form video and engage a mass digital audience. The project transformed a literary work into a sequential visual series, encouraging audiences to discover the story through multiple episodes rather than a single piece of content. Most importantly, the project validated Human House Gallery’s core idea: cultural heritage does not lose its relevance — what changes is the language through which we communicate it.
